Coal-loading machine.



J. W. WORTHAM.

GOAL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1912.

1,066,566, Patented July 8,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I "Hi WNW m ism Ill n WITNESSES [NVENTOR J. W. WORTHAM.

GOAL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 11, 1912.

1,066,566. Patented July 8,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. W. WORTHAM:

COAL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1912.

1,066,566. Patented July 8,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1V! T NE SSES J. W. WORTHAM.

COAL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1912.

1,066,566. Patented July 8,1913.

4 SHEETB-SHEET 4.

I I "1 71V]? SSE S 11V VEN TOR JOHN w. WQBTHAM, or nncn'rrm, ALABAMA.

GOAL-LOADING MACHINE;

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1912. Serial No. 670,586.

Patented July 8, 191a.

T0 ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. VVORTHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Decatur, in the county of Morgan and State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Loading Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to new and useful improvements in coalloading machines used primarily at railroad coal chutes, where thetenders of locomotives receive their coal. This work at present, on anumber of railroads, is done by hand, that is, laborers shovel the coalinto two-wheeled dum cars, holding a proximately one ton, whic cars arewheele by hand and dumped into the locomotive tender, which method is aslow and laborious one.

My machine will expedite and facilitate the loading of the coal.

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine of the natureabove indicated which will be efiicient in operation, comparativelysimple in construction and one which will be inexpensive to install.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists ofthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsas are described in this specification, illustrated in-the accom anyingdrawings, forming a art thereo and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

Reference being had to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side, elevationalview of my invention, rts broken away, the bucket or receptacle hidingin raised position. Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the same,from front to rear, the bucket being in lowered position. Fig. 3 is afront, elevational view of my device, the bucket or-receptacle being inraised position in readiness for the reception of coal. Fi 4 is arear,elevational view of the device, the bucket being in raisedposition.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, my invention is described as follows:

The loader comprises the framework 1 and uprights 2 and 3. Extendingvertically without the framework are a pair of vertical shafts 4, theupper ends of which shafts are connected together by means of a yoke 5.The bucket 6 is slid-ably mounted to said shafts l by means of collars 7which encircle said shafts and connecting means 8 interposed betweensaid collars and respective side walls of said bucket. The lower end ofthe bucket terminates in a rod 9, which rod extends downward through aplatform 10, upon which platform are provided pneumatic cushions 11,which cushions will be described more fully hereinafter. Adjacent thelower end of the rod 9 is provided a plurality of teeth 12 whichintermesh with the teeth 13 of the rear wheel 14.

Extending through the platform 10 is an other rod 15, the lower end ofwhich is also provided with a plurality of teeth, 16, which teethintermesh with said teeth 13 of the gear wheel. Provided intermediatethe center of the rod 15 and the upper end thereof is a'weight 17, saidweight being designed to overbalance the weight of the bucket orreceptacle 6 by approximately a ratiov of 2 to 1. A crossbar 18 issecured to the upper end of the rod 15, said cross bar having extendingupward therefrom a plurality of prongs 19. :Each one of said rongs isreceived by a respective perforation 20 in the chute 21 of the coalbin22, and reciprocates therein,it depending upon whether or not it isdesired for the coal to flow from the bin into the bucket or receptaclethrough said chute 21 or a on the relative positions of flow of the coalfrom said bin 22 through the chute 21 into the receptacle 6. As theweight 17 overbalances the weight of the bucket 6, the bucket, when emptwill be in raised position. When thebuc et has become filled with coalit will then descend from its raised position as illustrated in Fig. 1,to its lowered position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, at which time theweight 17 will ascend from its lowered position, as shown in Fig. 1 toits raised position as shown in Fig. 2, when the flow of the coal intothe bucket 6 will be automatically cut all. As the bucket 6 descends,the coal will automatically flow therefrom into the tender 33 through achute 24 which chute is pivotally held in position between the verticalstandards 3.

- When the coal has passed from the bucket motion of the bucket 6 andthe weight 17 and the loading and the unloading of the bucket 6, iscontinuous, as long as a supply of coal is in the bin or until themachine is stopped. The lower front of the bucket 6 1s made open topermit the passage of said coal from said bucket into the tenden whenthe bucket is in lowered position, but ,to prevent 'the coal frompassing from the bucket when in raised position, a -'sh1eld 25 isprovided, which shield is supported by said standards 3. As the bucketassumes a raised position, shield 25 gradually closes the opening at thelower front part of the bucket which communicates with the chute.

24 and obstructs the passage ofcoal from the bucket therethrough when.in raised position. As the bucket assumes a lowered position from araised one, the opening above mentioned, will adually' becomeunobstructed until the bucket is finally in itsextreme lowered position,at which time the coal will have free passage from said bucket into thetender ofthe engine through said chute 24. Said chute 24 is maintalnedin raised position by means of a welght 26', which is attached to thelower end of a rope or cable 27 which rope or cable travels over a smallpulley 28 rotatably mounted adjacent the upper end of one of thestandards 3,

t-he'opposite end of said rope or cable being attached td the forwardend of said chute 29 by suitable means. The weight-26and said chute 24are so equally balanced that friction will maintain said chute in eitherposition when placed in such position. It is necessar to lace said chutein a raised position a ter t eloading of the tender of a locomotive orcoal car-has been accom-. plished to permit the free passage'of a trainor locomotive without obstruction therewith. It is pointed out that thetime that the bucket 6 and said chute24 are in lowered position, saidchute is locked in such position against upward movement, thereby ob'-viating any danger of the chute tending toassume a raised position fromthe passage of coal therethrough.

The loading and unloading of the bucket 6 is regulated :by a devicewhichwill now be explained: Suppose, for example, the bucket. Weighs 500pounds and the weight weighs 1,000.pounds. 'When the bucket is empty itwill be in raised position, of course, while the weight is in loweredposition, with coal passing from the bin into the bucket. Now, when morethan 500 pounds of coalhas passed into the bucket, it would descend beseen that likewise when the bucket is in lowered osition and part of thecoal has passed therefrom leaving less than 500 pounds therein, the weit, overbalancing the combined weight of the bucket and the coalcontained in the same, will cause the bucket to ascend. To prevent this,I have provided a disk 28 secured to the spindle 29 upon which said gearwheel 14 1s keyed. Cut in said disk is a V-shaped notch 30, which notchis engaged by the downwardly extending )ortio-n 31 of the right-angularlever 32. stop 33 is provided to prevent the lever contacting the cutaway periphery of the disk 28, after being removed from the V-shapednotch 30. .Said lever is fulcrumed at a point 34. Extending upwardfrom-the opposite end of the lever and pivoted thereto, is a rod 35which extends through said platform 10, at the upper end of which rod isprovided a hand wheel 36. A spring 37 is interposed between the handwheel and said platform, the tension of the spring being' regulated bythe hand wheel. This device operates as follows:' When the weight isdown and the bucket is up, the notch 30 is engaged by the downwardlyextending portion of the right-angle lever 32, which prevents therotation of said disk, said disk in turn, preventing the rotation of thegear wheel 14, thereby preventing the descent of the bucket 6 until themember 31 is released from the V-shaped notch 30 in said disk. A secondduplicate disk is employed which holds thebucket in lowered positionuntil it unloads, when it is released. Therefore while one disk is beingclutched by its device thereby preventing the rotation of the,

gear wheel 14, the other disk, which is arranged upon the o posite endof the shaft 29 is free to turn an does not become engaged until thebucket assumes an opposite direction. The object in cutting away part ofthe periphery of each disk, is to prevent contact of the downwardlyextending portions 31 upon their respective disks during the rotation ofthe gear 14 which would tend to-act as a brake. The machine requiresonly one attendant whose duty it is to re lease said disks fromengagement with their respective levers at the proper intervals, bysufficiently reducing the tension of the spring 37 by turning the handwheel 36 upward.

As much leverage may be had as .is necessary as the fulcrum 34 of thelever may be ,placed as far toward the downward extending portion 31 ofthe lever as is necessary. Or said springs 37 may be placed at suchtensions as is necessary to permit the bucket 6 to automatically descendwhen approximately one ton of coal has been received thereby and willascend, when in a lowered position, at suchtime as when the bucket hasbecome emptied of its contents, it only being necessary to increase ordiminish the tension upon said springs when it is desired to start orstop the operation of the device.

I will now explain the construction of the pneumatic devices 11 employedto break the fall of either the bucket 6 or the weight 17. when eitherof the disks 28 are released and a change of relative positions betweensaid bucket and weight is had.

A piston 38 consisting of a rmg encircles the vertical rod 9, saidpiston being received by a cylinder 39, which cylinder is construct edopen at both ends and is provlded with a flange at its bottom integraltherewith so that it may be fastened or secured to the platform 10. Astuffing box 40 is provided at the point upon the platform where rod 9passes therethrough. Two air cocks 41 are provided at the lower end ofthe cylinder. lVhen the bucket is loaded it descends or drops. It drivesrod 9 and piston 38 intothe cylinder 39, compressing the air in thelatter, hence checking or breaking the descent or fall of said bucket,the amount of which is regulated by said air cocks. The pneumaticcushion provided for the breaking of the fall or descent of the weight17 operates in a similar manner and the same numerals have been appliedto its parts as have been applied to the pneumatic cushion utilized tobreak the fall of the bucket.

Although I have specifically described the novel features ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of the several parts of myinvention, yet I do not confine myself to such construction but reserveand may exercise the right to make such changes therein as do not departfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, is:

1. In a loading machine of the kind described, includin a framework, anda pair of vertical shafts, the combination of a bucket with means toslidably mount said bucket upon said shafts, the lower end of saidbucket terminating in a rod, which rod extends downward through aplatform of the frame, a weight arranged to overbalance said bucket whenempty, a rod extending downward from said weight, said rods eachprovided with teeth adjacent its lower end, a spindle on the framework,a gear wheel on said spindle intermeshing with said teeth, said gearwheel being for the purpose of transmitting power from one rod to theother, said rod to which the Weight is secured alsoextending above saidweight, a plurality of rongs provided upon the upper end oft elast-mentioned rod, a chute having its delivery end disposed near saidprongs, said prongs adapted to cut oil the flow of coal through saidchute into the bucket when said bucket is in lowered position, saidbucket provided with an opening to allow the coal to pass out of thesame into the tender of an engine, means to prevent the passage of coaltherefrom when in raised position, and means to retard the rotation ofsaid spindle upon which the gear wheel is mounted.

2. In a loading machine of the type described, including a frame work,a. pair of vertical shafts, a bucket having a laterally dischargingopening, means for slidably mounting said bucket upon said shaftsforvertical movement, a rod extending downwardl from said bucket, through amenu bcr 0 said frame work, a reciprocally actuated weighted rod alsoextending through said frame work-member, the weight on the latter rodoverbalancing the bucket when empty, said rods being equipped with teethadjacent their lower ends, a rotatably mounted spindle having a gearwheel, said gear-wheel and teeth being intergeared, said weighted rodbeing provided with a plurality of prongs, a chute having its deliveryend guarded by said prongs, means forming a closure for the dischargingopening of said bucket, when the latter is in its elevated position, andmeans for retarding the gptation of said gear-wheel equipped spin 3. Ina loading machine of the kind described comprising a framework and apair of vertical shafts, the combination of a bucket with means toslidably mount said bucket upon said shafts for vertical movement, thelower end ofsaid bucket terminating in a rod, which rod extends downwardthrough a platform of the frame, a second vertical rod arranged to passthrough said platform and operate reciprocally, a weight secured to thelatter rod, said weight overbalancing the bucket when empty, said weightarranged intermediate the center and upper end of the rod, said rodseach provided with a plurality of teeth arranged adjacent its lower end,a spindle rotatably mounted in the framework of the machine, a gearwheel on said spindle interposed between the lower ends of the rods andintermeshing with said teeth, said gear and teeth being for the purposeof transmitting power from one rod to the other, a chute, said rod towhich the weight is secured being provided with a plurality ofprongswhich prongs are movable across the chute for the purpose ofcutting oft the flow of coal from the bin through the chute into thebucket when the latter is in lowered position, said bucket provided withan opening in its front face adjacent its lower edge whereby the coal isallowed to pass therefrom into the tender of an engine, a pair ofstandards extending up from the framework of the machine, a shieldscciired to said standards, said shield being for the purpose of closingthe opening in thegbucket when the bucket is in raised position therebyobstructing the passage of coal therefrom, pneumatic devices arrangedupon the platform, one provided for each vertical rod, one of saiddevices being for the purpose of breaking the fall of either the bucketor the weight, as the case may be, as either assumes a lowered positionfrom a. raised one, devices arranged within the framework of the machineto prevent the descent of the weight or bucket except when released bythe operator and means to retard the rotation of said spindle upon whichthe gear wheel is mounted.

4. In a loading machine of the kind described including a framework anda pair of vertical shafts, a bucket slidably mounted upon the shaft forvertical movement, a weight to counterbalance the bucket, means fordepositing coal from a bin into the bucket when in a raised position,means for cutting off the flow of coal automatically when the bucket isin a lowered position,

said bucket provided with an opening through which coal is depositedinto the tender of an engine when the bucket is in lowered position,means to automatically close the said opening when the bucket is in araised position, means arranged in combination with the weight andbucket so that the weight and bucket will automatically counterbalanceeach other alternately, and means whereby the bucket may be retained ineither raised or lowered position.

5. In a loading machine of the kind described, including a bucket andweight mounted on rods for vertical movement, means for depositing coalinto the bucket when in a raised position, means arranged between thetwo rods so that the weight and bucket will automatically overbalanceeach other to alternately raise and lower the bucket, means whereby thesupply of coal is automatically cut oif and turned on with the loweringand raising of the bucket respectively, and means whereby the bucket maybe retained in either lowered or raised position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN V. VVORTHAM. Witnesses:

R, R. DUF *IE, N. E. GARNER.

